


beside you

by BoiTobio (jam_minimini)



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Atsumu best boy, High School, Kinda, M/M, Osaaka, Poor Osamu, i wanna rub his back and tell him it's gonna be okay, seemingly one-sided, uhm let's pretend they go to the same school
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-18 12:16:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29857956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jam_minimini/pseuds/BoiTobio
Summary: Osamu's suffering starts when his brother asks for help in wooing Akaashi Keiji, Osamu's seat mate and longtime crush.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Miya Osamu
Comments: 6
Kudos: 53





	beside you

**Author's Note:**

> this was originally written as a threadfic (posted on twt under @BoiTobio), hence the weird segmented narration and the limited wording. Thought I'd post this here too :>>

Osamu's suffering starts when his brother asks for help in wooing Akaashi Keiji, Osamu's seat mate and longtime crush.

It's not like he can hold it against Tsumu--he didn't know about Osamu's crush. And he of all people would understand how Tsumu would fall for Keiji. Guy's the prettiest, kindest human in the world. Anyone would love him.

Osamu could refuse to help him--but that would reveal his feelings for Keiji and he doesn't want that. Furthermore, Tsumu asked for help  _ first.  _ It's not like Osamu can just overrule that. He's a kind, considerate brother. He takes dibs pretty seriously. 

And because he is a kind, considerate brother, he agrees to switch seats with Tsumu so he could sit next to Keiji. 

They arrive to class just as the professor enters the room. Osamu watches Keiji's confused face when a different twin slips into the seat next to him. Osamu slouches in Atsumu's seat, which is two rows behind his original place.

From where he is, he could hear snippets of their conversation. 

"Hey, Keiji-kun. Did ya do yesterday's homework?" Tsumu leans in closer than Osamu would like.

"Oh. I did. I hope you did too, Miya-san?"

"Call me Atsumu. I have a twin y'know? Better not get confused." Osamu rolls his eyes.

"Okay, Miya Atsumu-san," Keiji reiterates, and Osamu has to bite his cheek to stop himself from smiling.

This goes on for the entire week. Tsumu bugs Keiji, Keiji would politely humor him, and Osamu would slowly die in painful pining as he watches his brother make heart eyes at Keiji. How fantastic.

His only reprieve is when Keiji whispers, "Miya-san, please be quiet. I can't concentrate," and a little weight is lifted off of his chest.

"What do I dooo, Samu? Keiji-kun doesn't even seem to pay attention to meee!" Atsumu whines on the dinner table. 

"Disappear, maybe," Osamu says, half-meaning it. "He might suddenly miss your obnoxiousness."

Atsumu gasps dramatically. "You're right! Absence makes the heart grow fonder!" 

"If he asks about where I am, that means he's interested in me, even if it's a little bit, right?"

The next day, Osamu settles back into his seat next to Keiji. Home sweet home. But the moment his butt lands on the wooden chair, Keiji turns and asks, "Oh? Atsumu-san is not here today?"

Osamu's heart breaks.  _ See, Tsumu,  _ he thought.  _ I told ya it'd work.  _

"Yeah, he's got explosive diarrhea. He's been camping at the toilet since yesterday," Osamu lies, letting his petulance get the better of him. So what if he talks shit about Tsumu a bit? He's the one making progress with the guy Osamu likes. Let him have just this one.

Keiji stifles his chuckle with his knuckles. Osamu feels like he's been blessed by the gods. 

/Hah. Take that, Tsumu. Bet ya can't make him laugh like that./

Then he gets a text from Tsumu about how it's going and "Did he miss meeeeee?" And Osamu is reminded that Keiji is not his to court. Right. Okay. That's fine. He's a big boy; he can handle this.

"So how are things going with my brother?" Osamu asks when their fourth period prof is running late. Keiji looks at him weirdly, then he smiles. Oh. He smiled. Good for Tsumu. Haha.

"He's a little, uhm disruptive. But I can tell he's a good person. Is he, uhm, hitting on me?"

Osamu groans. "Yeah, sorry. That's why he wanted to switch seats."

"Oh." Keiji nods with a fond smile. Osamu wants to jump out the window and run and never return. 

Then Keiji leans in closer, closer than Osamu's cheeks can tolerate, and he whispers, "I kind of miss you too, you know."

He pulls back, their prof enters, and Osamu is left sputtering and absolutely conflicted about everything.

Two weeks pass and Osamu has never felt so drained. Over the past two weeks, he has sat next to Keiji twice and even then, he was forced to subtly promote his brother out of loyalty.

To make things worse, Tsumu has finally decided to ask Keiji out. 

"Ain't ya goin' a little too fast?" Osamu says in an attempt to postpone this inevitable event. Even if it means Tsumu would have to chase Keiji around even longer, at least they aren't dating.

"Don't ya think he'll say yes?" Tsumu asks with a stupid crooked grin, like he's so confident. /Be more nervous, ya jerk. Keiji is so waaay out of your league for you to be that confident./

"Hey. Do you really like Keiji?" Osamu asks seriously. "'Cause if you don't, I'll seriously shave all your hair off."

Atsumu grins wickedly. "Ooh what is this I smell? Jealousy? Samu, you didn't tell me ya cared for Keiji-kun to that extent."

Osamu glares at Tsumu, but that's all he can do. He just doesn't have the nerve to admit it. "I just don't want ya hurting others, asshole."

Tsumu's face softens. "Hey, hey. I won't be hurting others." Osamu internally scoffs because he himself is hurting right now. "Tell me, how do you think I should ask Keiji-kun out?"

Osamu sighs and concedes. He knows to himself that Tsumu is a good person and that he would treat Keiji well. It's Osamu's own problem if he can't repress his feelings for the guy his brother likes. He should just be a good twin and help Tsumu out. 

"Keiji likes quiet places. And he isn't too big a fan of big gestures. And he can tell if you're being sincere or if you're reading some bullshit off the internet, so do it right."

Tsumu nods with a light, close-lipped smile. 

"Keiji likes being alone with someone he's comfortable with. So wait for the right time and place, I guess." This time, Osamu breaks his own heart by imagining how it could be him asking Keiji out instead. 

"Damn. You're a real good bro, y'know that?" Osamu quirks a corner of his lips up. Tsumu's appreciation is his only consolation.

So they proceed with a plan that Tsumu formulated. Tsumu is going to skip the last class to prepare behind the library. Then it's Osamu's task to take Keiji there after the bell rings. Right now, Osamu's walking with Keiji out of the main building and heading to the library, which is quite far away.

"So why are we going behind the library again?" Keiji asks with an amused smile. 

"I told you. I found a pregnant cat. I think it's belly is going to burst soon."

Keiji laughs, and his visage combined with the setting sun in the background is enough to make Osamu weak in the knees. Tsumu that lucky bastard. 

"Don't you mean it'll deliver soon? Are you planning on being the midwife?"

Osamu shakes the image of a pregnant Catsumu from his mind. "Nah. I'll just be watching it go down, I guess."

They walk slowly. Osamu feels like he's walking Keiji to the altar. This might be the only time he's ever going to have around Keiji while...while he's not yet... (he can’t even say it to himself) so he better make the most of it. 

God, Osamu feels like a loser.

"Osamu-san?" Keiji asks tentatively. Osamu turns to him immediately. 

"Have you been struggling with something lately? I mean, I always see you looking down, and I barely get to talk to you anymore. I know that Atsumu-san has been trying to get closer, but you were my friend first, you know? I'm worried about you," he says shyly.

Osamu mentally keyboard smashes and all of his emotions go on a rampage. He's pretty sure he's not supposed to be feeling this way about his brother's future boyfriend. He needs to calm down before he does something to hurt Tsumu.

"Oh. I'm just, uh strugglin' with my requirements, I guess. Kinda hard without ya explaining stuff to me," Osamu jests. 

"I'll help you then. After we check out that cat, we can go to the library to study?" Keiji offers. What an angel. Maybe he can live with this. Maybe just knowing Keiji worries about him is enough. 

Osamu tries not to let the sadness show in his smile when he says, "If we get the chance, sure," because he knows they won't. Not anymore.

They finally arrive at the library entrance. Just a few turns and they'll reach whatever Atsumu has planned. But right before they turn the last corner, Osamu stops walking, chest heaving and eyes prickling. This is it, huh. Once they cross this point he's going to have to forget his feelings for Keiji. And he's gonna have to be happy for him and Tsumu. 

Osamu should have accepted it by now, but his heart is hurting really bad, and his feet refuse to move, like it's trying to spare him from the imminent pain. He turns to face Keiji, and fuck, why does he have to be so pretty all wide-eyed and confused like that.

"Keiji. I--" He's being weird. /Stop it/, he thinks. He should think about Tsumu waiting on the other side. "You go first."

Keiji gives him a teasing smile. "Suddenly scared of an expecting cat, Samu?" 

Oh god. Oh god. Nope. His heart just decided. He's never going to get over Keiji.

"Yeah," Osamu says weakly. "I'm terrified."

Keiji disappears into the corner and Osamu bites his lip, stares up the sky, all the while aggressively fanning tears forming in his eyes. He chants to himself, "You can do this, Samu! Do it for Tsumu! Aaaaaaghh!" 

It's useless, though. Even as he tries to violently shake his head to try and yeet the tears away, they continue to fall. He needs to get out of here, before those lovebirds catch him and interrogate him about why he's crying like a fucking baby.

"Osamu-san? I can't find the cat--hey, what's wrong?" Keiji suddenly appears and takes Osamu's face into his hands. He can't wipe his tears away now! Even his snot is embarrassingly dripping from his nose. 

"Wh-what're ya doin' here, Keiji? Where's Tsumu?" 

Keiji's brows meet in the middle. "Atsumu-san? Why would he be here? Is he also meeting the cat?"

Keiji's hands are still on his face, wiping his tears for him, and Osamu can't think properly. "No, he is the cat!"

Keiji blinks. "Atsumu-san is a pregnant cat?"

Osamu doesn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Noo! That bastard was supposed to be there asking you out! Is he really not there? I'm gonna kill that idiot!"

Keiji's hands slip down from Osamu's face and rest at the sides of his neck. He tilts his head to the side. "Is that why you're crying? Because Atsumu-san was going to ask me out?"

Osamu doesn't know why this is the exact moment he chooses to snap. Maybe it's Keiji's hands on his skin. Maybe it's the way Keiji's looking at him through his lashes. Maybe it's the built up frustration and desperation from keeping Keiji at arm's length all this time. Maybe it's all of those. 

"Yeah. /Yes./ And I don't want you to. I don't want you to say yes," Osamu's hands find the lapels of Keiji's uniform. "I don't want to hurt Tsumu. I really don't, but god, Keiji, I've been in love with you for so long. I've loved you since we were freshmen tryna figure out how things work, and I--"

Osamu pulls Keiji closer, shakily breathing, and says, "I want you to be with /me/. I want to be the one who makes you happy. I want to be the one you look at, smile at and laugh with. Am I selfish for wanting that?" 

Keiji smiles at him, and the blue green of his eyes seem extra bright today. Osamu may just fucked up the friendship he treasured most in the world, but if this image of Keiji's smile is his parting gift, maybe it's not entirely bad. (Still pretty painful though)

Then Keiji asks him, sweetly and softly, like he's asking about a secret, "Do you also want to kiss me?"

Woah. Okay. He sees what this is.

“Did I fall asleep in class? Is this a dream?” Osamu asks genuinely. He starts looking around for telltale signs that it is indeed a dream. Usually he can’t read words in a dream. But the glowing green EXIT sign is pretty clear, and so is the GO FOR IT, SAMU <3 -TSUMU sign some blonde guy is holding up from behind Keiji--wait, what?!

Keiji gently pulls Osamu’s face back to his and brushes their noses together. Jesus, fuck, it’s more than Osamu can take. He might seriously make a fool of himself.

“Answer me, Samu,” Keiji says quietly, completely aware of the power he has over Osamu. This is so unfair. Holy shit Osamu might just combust.

“Y-yeah, ideally,” Osamu stammers like the lovesick fool that he is, and when Keiji gives him a grin so heartachingly sweet, he gives in to his desires for once and kisses Keiji, with all the love he’s been suppressing for so long. 

It’s shy and clumsy and shorter than he’d hoped for, but it’s perfect, and it feels great. If Osamu’s heart could talk, it would be screaming in all caps. Osamu allows himself to be greedy and takes Keiji’s lips again, and again, until Keiji is uncontrollably laughing at his desperate kisses. 

“I swear I’m way cooler than this,” Osamu sulks. Keiji giggles against his neck, and Osamu has to fight against the way his knees wobble. 

“I know, that’s why I fell for you,” Keiji says nonchalantly, like it didn’t just turn Osamu’s world upside down. 

Osamu turns bright red. He can’t look at Keiji right now or else he’ll explode. He averts his gaze and meets with Tsumu’s eyes instead, who is taking pictures of them like a damn paparazzi. Osamu finally understands that all of this was just a ploy that his brother has done to get him to confess to Keiji. 

“Cooler than Atsumu?” Osamu asks. 

Keiji playfully rolls his eyes. “I’ve only ever liked you, Osamu-san.” 

Osamu hugs Keiji tightly, and the vibrations of Keiji’s laugh make his heart beat even faster. Osamu looks back at Atsumu who is making suggestive kissy faces at them and gives him a middle finger hidden from Keiji’s view. Atsumu sticks his tongue out and gives a middle finger right back.

(Osamu mouths, “Thank you, asshole.” Atsumu grins up at him and mouths back, “Gotchu, bro!”) 

End. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading :>


End file.
